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Products
Audeze Maxwell Wireless
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Aug 21, 2025 12:34 PM
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BestBuy.comTested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Jun 18, 2025 01:07 PM
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Amazon.com
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass AmountSlightly Emphasized (2 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerPlanar Magnetic
Treble AmountBalanced (-1 dB)
MicYes
Sound SignatureWarm
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass AmountVery Emphasized (6 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble AmountSlightly Emphasized (1 dB)
MicYes
Sound SignatureWarm
Our Verdict
Audeze Maxwell Wireless
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Full comparison details regarding individual product score sets can be found in the section below
Variants
- Maxwell for PlayStation (Dark Gray)
- Maxwell for Xbox (Dark Gray)
- WH-1000XM5 (Black)
- WH-1000XM5 (Midnight Blue)
- WH-1000XM5 (Silver)
- WH-1000XM5 (Smoky Pink)
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Dark Gray
Maxwell for Xbox
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Finding storeBlack
WH-1000XM5
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Finding storeDark Gray
Maxwell for PlayStation
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Finding storeMidnight Blue
WH-1000XM5
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Finding storeSilver
WH-1000XM5
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Finding storeSmoky Pink
WH-1000XM5
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Finding storeMain Differences for-
-
Threshold
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
400 Hz
1,350 Hz
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)
Very Emphasized (6 dB)
Treble Amount
Balanced (-1 dB)
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Sound Signature
Warm
Warm
Frequency Response Consistency
5.2
7.5
Consistency L
Consistency R
Std. Deviation
1.68 dB
0.99 dB
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
9.2
7.5
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
2.7 dB
5.4 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
1.75 dB
4.71 dB
Mid Bass
2.54 dB
5.33 dB
High Bass
0.69 dB
6.32 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
9.0
8.4
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.4 dB
2.1 dB
Low Mid
-1.41 dB
2.79 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.68 dB
-0.71 dB
High Mid
0.44 dB
-0.4 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
9.8
9.9
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.69 dB
1.43 dB
Low Treble
-1.32 dB
0.49 dB
Mid Treble
-0.71 dB
-0.11 dB
High Treble
-2.37 dB
-5.56 dB
Stereo Mismatch
5.1
7.5
Frequency Response Mismatch
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.64 dB
0.3 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
1.46 dB
1.5 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
4.3°
2.7°
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
PRTF
6.2
4.8
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
3.5 dB
3.68 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.08 dB
7.72 dB
PRTF Distance
11.08 dB
6.74 dB
Harmonic Distortion
8.9
9.1
Harmonics Levels
THD Ratio
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.10%
0.07%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.22%
0.23%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
N/A
113.0 dB SPL
Bluetooth Max SPL
107.9 dB
104.9 dB
Virtual Soundstage
4.1
4.1
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
Dolby Atmos
360 Reality Audio
Test Settings
Firmware
1.0.1.74
2.3.1
Power
On
On
Connection
Wireless (Proprietary)
Bluetooth
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Audeze
Off
ANC
No ANC
On
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Boom
Integrated
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Transducer
Planar Magnetic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.0
7.0
Comfort Picture
Weight
1.07 lbs
0.55 lbs
Clamping Force
1.1 lbs
0.8 lbs
Controls
7.6
7.6
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Good
Good
Feedback
Good
Decent
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
Mute/Unmute
No
Channel Mixing
Yes
No
Noise Cancelling Control
No
On/Off
Talk-Through
No
On/Off
Additional Controls
Bluetooth + Multi function
Voice Assistant
Portability
5.3
6.0
Portability Picture
L
10.2" (26.0 cm)
8.1" (20.5 cm)
W
9.1" (23.0 cm)
6.9" (17.6 cm)
H
2.4" (6.0 cm)
1.8" (4.5 cm)
Volume
220.12 in³ (3,607.10 cm³)
99.08 in³ (1,623.60 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
0.0
8.0
Case Picture
Type
No case
Hard case
L
N/A
9.3" (23.6 cm)
W
N/A
8.0" (20.2 cm)
H
N/A
2.3" (5.9 cm)
Volume
N/A
171.64 in³ (2,812.60 cm³)
Build Quality
8.0
7.5
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.0
7.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
5.3
9.4
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Noise Cancelling
No
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-12.98 dB
-25.81 dB
Bass
3.77 dB
-17.63 dB
Mid
-13.49 dB
-28.25 dB
Treble
-32.74 dB
-33.04 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
4.4
9.1
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-9.48 dB
-21.43 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-9.99 dB
-19.38 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-11.12 dB
-24.28 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
Yes
No
Detachable Boom
Yes
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
7.5
6.7
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
89.8 Hz
236.29 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.84 dB
3.43 dB
HFE
6,088.74 Hz
7,240.77 Hz
Weighted THD
0.307
N/A
Gain
-6.85 dB
-13.92 dB
Noise Handling
9.0
8.3
SpNR
42.68 dB
7.61 dB
Noise Gate
On/Off Toggle
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
9.0
8.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
9.0
8.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
9.0
8.5
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
77.4 hrs
27 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
0.0
Total Battery Life
77.4 hrs
27 hrs
Charge Time
3.2 hrs
3 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
Yes
No
Passive Playback
No
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
App Support
7.0
8.0
App Picture
App Name
AudezeHQ
Sony Sound Connect
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
macOS
Yes
No
Windows
Yes
No
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
On/Off
Mic Control
Adjustable Level
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
Yes
Button Mapping
No
Yes
Surround Support
No
Yes
Connectivity
Wired Connection
8.3
9.8
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
USB-C
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.07 ft (1.24 m)
4.04 ft (1.23 m)
Connector
1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS
Latency - Analog
9.1 ms
0.4 ms
Latency - USB
13.0 ms
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Analog
Bluetooth Connection
8.9
8.7
Bluetooth Version
5.3
5.2
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
Quick Pair (Android)
Yes
Yes
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
330.71 ft (100.80 m)
Latency - SBC
186 ms
241 ms
Latency - aptX
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
N/A
Latency - LDAC
236 ms
233 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
SBC
SBC
AAC Support
Yes
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
8.0
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
173.88 ft (53.00 m)
N/A
Latency - Dongle
23 ms
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio Only
Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio Only
PS4 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio Only
PS5 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
Base/Dock
3.4
0.0
Type
Wireless USB Dongle
No Base/Dock
USB Input
Yes
No
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
No
Power Supply
USB
No Base/Dock
Check Price
Dark Gray
Maxwell for Xbox
Searching
Finding storeBlack
WH-1000XM5
Searching
Finding storeDark Gray
Maxwell for PlayStation
Searching
Finding storeMidnight Blue
WH-1000XM5
Searching
Finding storeSilver
WH-1000XM5
Searching
Finding storeSmoky Pink
WH-1000XM5
Searching
Finding store
Audeze Maxwell Wireless
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Comments
Audeze Maxwell Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless: Main Discussion
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